Blue Eyes and Black Bandanas
by MaggieGirl
Summary: A girl from Earth is sent on a voyage, hoping for fun and adventure, but little does she know...that you'll have to read first to in order to know!
1. First Trip

Treasure Planet rocks the whole universe, so I am expressing my...er...fandom- ness by...writing this fandom! *Big cheesy grin*  
  
~*~  
  
Thuraya Mullins turned her face up to the sky and smiled at the stars. She watched through the window as a NASA space ship launched from the spaceport, its silver sails glinting in the moonlight.  
  
She lived on the planet Earth, one of the very last planets in the whole universe to achieve fully advanced technology and space travel. The Earthen ways, however, still existed strongly. Incoming ships were not allowed into the atmosphere without a legal universal passport, like they were immigrants from a different country. The United States was still the planet's superpower, although it had came as a surprise to all Earthians that there were bigger and mightier worlds in other galaxies.  
  
It didn't matter for Thuraya, though. She was just a typical teenage rebel, out to pursue her dreams...or not. Thuraya, or Raya as she liked to be called, wasn't really too keen on schoolwork. She preferred to gaze out the window as her teacher droned on and on about the Discovery of 2104, which was when a NASA satellite had picked up photographs of a densely populated planet in the Coral galaxy. She only heard a few words from the Great Galactic Journey lecture that followed, and didn't even take in the speech about how recent events varied with the ancient times like the Renaissance and Civil Rights movement.  
  
"Miss Mullins? Miss MULLINS? MISS MULLINS!" The teacher yelled. Raya jumped and sat up in her chair. She had fallen asleep amidst all the speeches and lectures. Some fellow students snickered as the teacher went to stand in front of her desk. Raya flushed.  
  
"Erm...sorry, uh, dude." She said. The class roared with laughter. The teacher looked outraged.  
  
"Well...'dude,'...you can just teleport your way home and tell your mother exactly why this is the SEVENTH TIME in two weeks!" Raya rolled her eyes, walked over to the teleporter and disappeared within seconds, only to reappear in her living room, where her mother just happened to be sitting.  
  
"Thuraya Zaynah Mullins!" Mrs. Mullins exclaimed, leaping to her feet. Raya cringed. "The SEVENTH time?!" Raya marveled once again whether her mother and teacher had some sort of telepathic bond of some sort.  
  
"This is ENOUGH! When your father comes home, we are going to do something once and for all about your behavior!" Mrs. Mullins scolded. Raya shrugged her shoulder and then made her way up the stairs to her room. Mrs. Mullins sighed. She hoped that it was all a teenage phase...  
  
"God, I am so bored, Boy." Raya sighed, scratching her black cat behind his furry ears. Mister Boy purred and plopped himself onto her lap. She smiled. That cat was more trustworthy and loyal than anyone else she knew.  
  
"I wish that I could visit the spaceport. I could take you, and then we could take a trip on one of the ships, and then we could go to the moon and beyond..." Raya said, dreamily. Just then, her father's space boat stopped in front of the house. "...Or not..." She counted down ten seconds and then—  
  
"THURAYA! Down here, now!"  
  
"Here we go again." Raya mumbled, getting up and trudging downstairs. Her mother and father were waiting for her in the kitchen.  
  
"Sit." Mr. Mullins said sternly. She did so. "Seven times, Thuraya. SEVEN. This will not be tolerated any longer. Your attitude needs serious adjustment, as does your appearance." He eyed her black sneakers with great disapproval. His daughter looked like a scruffy punk-rocker from the early 2000's.  
  
"So," He continued, glancing at his wife "Your mother and I are going to send you away for awhile until you can act like a respectable person."  
  
"Where will I be going?" Raya asked, dreading the answer.  
  
"My colleague Amelia is captain of the R.L.S. Legacy and she will be hiring you to work as a crew member. You will leave a week from now to Montressor." Raya almost shouted in joy, but suppressed it in time.  
  
~*~  
  
ONE WEEK LATER  
  
Mister Boy trotted along timidly behind Raya as they made their way through the Montrosser spaceport. She was wearing her signature black tank-black pants combo with old Etnies sneakers and a black wristband on each arm. She also wore a black bandana over her dark shoulder-length hair. Raya gazed around in wonder at all the different beings flocked there. Then she spotted it, with its golden sails, tall masts, and enormous size. The ship was beautiful.  
  
"R.L.S. Legacy. We're here, Boy." Raya said, grinning and walking up the ramp to the ship. The cat mewed and scurried after her. He plowed right into her soon after, however, when she had come to an abrupt stop.  
  
Raya gazed around at the magnificent ship, awestruck. There was a loud and sudden thump behind her. She turned and almost jumped two feet in the air when she saw that a tall, cat-like woman in blue Captain's attire was standing right behind her. Raya figured that this was Captain Amelia.  
  
"Thuraya Mullins?" the Captain asked. Raya nodded. "Ah, yes. You will be working just like a ship's crewmember. There will be no dawdling or horseplay tolerated. When dusk comes, however, you and your fellow crewmembers will take turns on watch. You will do the first watches on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Saturdays you will have the second watch. Understood?"  
  
"Yes...ma'am." Raya said.  
  
"Right. Now you will go below deck to the crew's quarters and unload your belongings. Take any hammock that's unoccupied. Then, off ship, there are boxes labeled with the ship's name. I expect you to help Mr. Scroop unload them." Amelia said.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Raya said again, retreating below deck.  
  
~*~  
  
"Pfft. PFFT pfft PFFT!" Raya stared, awestruck, at the...thing. Mister Boy dove into a hammock, startled. She had never seen anything like it. It glared at her. "PFFT! PFFT!"  
  
"Oh. Uh...sorry." She said, snapping out of it and throwing her bag into an empty hammock adjacent from the Farting One.  
  
"OW! Watch it, you clumsy twit!" Raya jumped and looked down to see that she had trodden on someone...who only had two arms and a head!  
  
"Sorry, uh...ma'am." She said, choosing her words carefully. The body-less lady left, but not without a very rude hand gesture directed at Raya. Mister Boy came out of his hiding place and then jumped up to Raya's shoulder, where he perched himself.  
  
"Well, Boy, at least we live in such friendly company." She said, sarcastically. She made her way down the ramp and saw several crates labeled 'R.L.S. Legacy.' She lifted one up. "Oh...crap!" She put it back down, panting. "Okay...let's try again...HUP!" She lifted it up with all her might and started taking small, strained steps back up to the ship. Several passersby stopped and gawked at her, most likely wondering why a scruffy- dressed skinny girl was trying to lift twice her size.  
  
"OOF!" Raya heard as she walked aboard.  
  
CLUNK! CRASH!  
  
Raya timidly looked up as she set down the crate. She had ran into a boy and a...robot? Oh, no...a man in a spacesuit.  
  
"Sorry!" Raya exclaimed. They got up and dusted themselves off, both looking at her.  
  
"So...that's a heavy looking crate." The boy said.  
  
"Yup. It really is," Raya replied, laughing "but at least I'll have muscles by the end of this trip." She lifted Mister Boy from off her shoulder and sat down lightly on the crate, setting him down beside her.  
  
"Is that a Felis Catus?" The man said excitedly, adjusting his glasses and leaning in to get a better look.  
  
"Erm...that's my cat...His name is Mister Boy." Raya said. "By the way, I'm Raya."  
  
"I'm Dr. Delbert Doppler and this is Jim Hawkins. Er, Do you happen to know where the captain is?" The man said.  
  
"Erm...AAAUGH!" Raya said, jumping back as the captain landed on her feet right in front of them.  
  
"Hello, there, I'm Captain Amelia, welcome aboard. This—"She gestured to a rock-like man to her right "is my first mate Mr. Arrow, honest, brave and true."  
  
"Please, captain." Mr. Arrow said, looking embarrassed. Amelia responded playfully with "Shut up, Arrow, I didn't mean a word of it."  
  
"I'm Dr. Delbert Doppler, and this is Jim Hawkins, the boy who found the treasure m—"Amelia clapped a hand over the doctor's mouth. She looked at Raya.  
  
"Thuraya, move along now." She ordered. Raya picked up Mister Boy and made her way back down the ramp, only to find that all the crates had been carried aboard already.  
  
"Huh." She said, petting Mister Boy on the head. A very long, skinny leg stepped in front of her.  
  
"You're too ssslow. I had to do it myssself." A hissy voice said. Raya looked up and gasped. It was a giant spider with yellow eyes and arms with pincers at the end. He was glaring at her. She figured that this was Mr. Scroop.  
  
"Er...I'm sorry...I got side-tracked...a little." Raya stuttered.  
  
"I ssaw. What were they saying?"  
  
"Well...we were talking about cats, introducing ourselves, w—"Scroop stomped a leg on the ground, looking impatient.  
  
"What were they saying before you left?"  
  
"The spacesuit guy was saying that he was Dr. Doppler and that the ponytail dude was Jim Hawkins. Then the captain shooed me away because I was dawdling." Raya said. She felt like Scroop was not to be trusted. Why did he care what everyone was saying?  
  
"There's no more work for you here. Go away until the launch." Scroop said crossly.  
  
Gladly, Raya thought.  
  
~*~  
  
"OOF!" Raya had run into yet another person. She looked to see that it was Jim Hawkins from earlier.  
  
"Sorry." They said at the same time. They laughed.  
  
"Wow. I need to watch where I'm going." Raya said.  
  
"That's alright. So where are you heading off to?" Jim said, picking up his overturned bucket of soap.  
  
"I dunno. I already did the launch so I have nothing to do. What're you up to?" Raya said, making conversation in hopes of making a friend.  
  
"Well, I'm the cabin boy. Whoo-hoo." Jim said with fake enthusiasm. "It stinks."  
  
"I'll bet. I thought this would be fun, but now I have to be bossed around by some giant spider psycho." Raya said. Jim laughed.  
  
"I met your boss. A REALLY nice guy." They laughed.  
  
"Jimbo!" A voice said. Jim rolled his eyes.  
  
"And THAT would be my boss." He muttered. A man came up from the galley, except he wasn't just an everyday guy. He had a metal leg and mechanical arm.  
  
"Workin' alright?" The man said. He looked to his far right. "You missed a spot over there." And with that, he walked away.  
  
"Wow. Your boss is...unique." Raya said. Jim shrugged a shoulder.  
  
"I've seen a few cyborgs at my mom's inn." He said.  
  
"Oh...so that's a cyborg?" Raya said. Jim looked at her with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Where have you been?" He asked. Raya shuffled a foot against the floor, embarrassed.  
  
"Well...I'm from Earth...and I haven't been on a spaceship before..." Raya said.  
  
"Not even on a solar surfer?" Raya shook her head.  
  
"Oh." He said, going back to his mopping. It was silent.  
  
SPLASH!  
  
"RAAAAAAAWR!" Mister Boy scrambled out of the overturned bucket and scampered off.  
  
"Whoa—"  
  
"Boy, come back here!" Raya went running after the wet cat. She caught him a few minutes later and soon the front of her black shirt was damp with soapy water. She looked back at Jim and saw that he was laughing. She blushed and walked back to him.  
  
"Well," She said over his laughing "I guess now's the time to say that a wet cat is an angry cat." She took off her bandana and draped it over Boy.  
  
"Yeah..." Jim caught his breath. "That was really interesting." Raya snorted.  
  
"Glad to be of service." She said, bowing slightly in jest. "Do not mess with your angry mommy. That is like taking a bath with your neighbor's angry kitty!" She said in a Japanese voice. Jim laughed.  
  
"Where'd you hear that?" He asked.  
  
"From my drunken uncle." They laughed again for the fourth time.  
  
"Gosh, Earthlings seem really cool. I might have to go there sometime." Jim said. Raya had nothing to say about that. She wanted to tell him how boring it was, but she didn't want to seem too distasteful. It was quiet again.  
  
"To tell you the truth," Jim said after a while "I've never been on a spaceship either. I thought it would be more fun than this." He gestured to the mop.  
  
"Same here." Raya said. She watched him for a moment. "You need some help." Jim snorted.  
  
"Thank you for putting it so honestly." He joked. She whacked him on the arm lightly and giggled.  
  
"I'm gonna go get a mop." She said before he could say anything. She returned a few minutes later and started helping him.  
  
"You're a mopping expert, aren't you?" Jim said, eyeing her with envy.  
  
"No. My mom's just a firm believer in manual labor and tries to exercise that belief through me." Raya replied. It was silent again as they concentrated a bit more on mopping.  
  
"Hey...are those Etnies?" Jim asked, pointing to her shoes. She nodded. "Those look different compared to the ones they sell on Montressor." Raya stopped short.  
  
"They sell skate shoes on Montressor?" She asked, puzzled.  
  
"Yeah. They're good for solar surfing." Jim said.  
  
"Montressor seems very cool. I totally have to go there sometime."  
  
"Totally?" Jim teased. Raya laughed. "Like, TOTALLY!"  
  
"Like, ready? Okay!" Raya said, then broke out into song "Wishin'...and hopin'...and thinkin'...and prayin'!" She looked at Jim to see his reaction, but was alarmed to see that a shadow had fallen over them and she heard a voice speak behind her.  
  
"Just what in Saturn blazes do ya t'ink yer doin'?" She turned to face the cyborg, who was glaring at her.  
  
"I'm mopping." She said, and did so to prove it.  
  
"Well, no one wanted you to mop, so you jest best be goin' on yer way, missy!" The old cyborg said.  
  
"Any trouble, Silver?" A voice said. They all looked and saw the captain. Silver put on a fake but convincing grin.  
  
"Why, nothin' at all, cap'n, ma'am!" He said. "It's just that this girl ova here seems to be takin' the job of me cabin boy!"  
  
"Oh, yeah right! I'm bored, so I'm mopping!" Raya declared.  
  
"Miss Mullins, that'll do." The captain said "You have first watch this evening, so I suggest that you get some rest while you can." Raya sighed.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." She said. She gave a little wave to Jim before slinking off to the crew's quarters.  
  
~*~  
  
That's it for now! Arrivederci! 


	2. The Visitor

Wee. Next chappie, enjoy.  
  
~*~  
  
Raya sat sidesaddle on the bowsprit, enjoying the soft night wind of the etherium. She was on first watch and was finding it to be very peaceful. She thought about what she had heard before she went on watch. Silver and Jim had been talking, and then Jim had said that his father had left when he was young. She smiled slightly and remembered that Silver had somewhat vowed to look after Jim. I guess Silver's not all that bad, she thought.  
  
She watched a lone Orcus galacticus float pass the ship, giving her a big whale grin. She swung a leg over and hopped back on deck. She flopped onto a coil of ropes and stared up at the stars, which were much clearer to see than on Earth. It was so quiet...so..peaceful. Nothing could be heard except for an occasional call of an Orcus. Raya's eyelids were drooping, but she fought to keep her eyes open. Soon enough, however, she lost to slumber.  
  
~*~  
  
PSTEEEEEEEW! CRASH!  
  
Raya sat up, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Frickin' idiot...making noise this time o' night." She muttered, opening her eyes. "Oh...my..." Someone had crashed right into the main mast on a solar surfer, and now it had a mast-sized dent in it. The rider was lying on their stomach on the deck, motionless. Raya scrambled up, ran to the wheel and rang the bell beside it, alerting the crew. Two minutes later, with Captain Amelia in the lead, the whole crew came on deck looking either wary or dazed. But as all took in the sight, they gasped as one.  
  
"What in the devil?!" Silver exclaimed. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler knelt beside the person. Raya came to stand nearby and saw that it was a teenage boy with shaggy brown hair and black tips.  
  
"There seems to be a fracture in his right leg and...oh my...his head is bleeding." Dr. Doppler reported. The Captain straightened up.  
  
"Clear up a space in the quarters and make a cot up." She ordered a random crew member. "Now, doctor, we need to turn him over and see if he has any further injuries."  
  
"If I may, cap'n." Silver said, gently lifting up the boy and setting him into a stretcher held by Jim and the Flatula. They made their way slowly down into the quarters. Captain Amelia turned to Raya.  
  
"Great bell-alert, Miss Mullins, nicely done."  
  
"Thank you, ma'am." Raya said, still shaken about the crash.  
  
"Now, if you may, you can assist Mr. Silver in attending to the boy." Raya nodded and went below deck. She saw that Silver was preparing a splint of some sort for the boy's arm. Raya noticed that blood was staining the white pillow beneath his head. She poured a bit of water from the washing pitcher on to a cloth and tied it around his forehead to try to stop the bleeding.  
  
"Poor lad." Silver said; just to be saying something "Prolly goin' teh have a concussion after a crash like that."  
  
"I wonder where he was in such a hurry to go to that he didn't see the ship." Raya said.  
  
"Joyridin', most likely." Silver replied. "Got no joy outta it, tho. A broken arm, rib and a nearly cracked open skull."  
  
"That's gonna hurt in the morning." Raya said, cringing. She started at a chuckling noise, but then looked up. Silver was laughing.  
  
~*~  
  
The boy did not wake up until late morning. He groaned and attracted the attention of Raya, who was combing her hair out. She went to his side. He tried to move, but Raya kept him still.  
  
"You've got a broken rib and arm, so try not to do anything." She said. Silver woke up from his spot on a nearby chair.  
  
"What's this, now?" He questioned sleepily.  
  
"He's awake." Silver got up.  
  
"Uhhh...where am I?" The boy muttered weakly.  
  
"You're aboard the R.L.S. Legacy." Silver said, with his friendly grin. "Now how're ya feelin'?"  
  
"Bad." He muttered, and winced when he tried to sit up. Raya immediately made him lay down again.  
  
"You've got a broken rib, so you are to keep on your back until further notice." Raya said, sternly. Silver looked amused, but he didn't comment.  
  
"What's your name, laddie?" He asked.  
  
"Braeden." The boy said. Now that he was awake, Raya saw that he had dark brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt that read "Evanescence," on it, and his dark gray sneakers seemed to be slightly charred.  
  
"Where were you heading off to?" Raya asked. Something flashed in Braeden's eyes, but he answered,  
  
"I don't remember."  
  
"As I thought, a slight concussion. Now rest here, Braed'n while I fetch you a bowl of me bonzabeast stew!" Silver said, going to the galley.  
  
"How's your head?" Raya asked him.  
  
"Hurting." Raya changed the cloth on his head and replaced it with a clean one.  
  
"I'm Raya, by the way." She said. He nodded slightly.  
  
"Did I look dead when I crashed?" He asked. Raya looked at him, startled.  
  
"Well, you probably would've been had I not been awake and rang the bell." She replied. Silver came back with the stew.  
  
"Now, steady up, lad...that's good." Silver held up the soup while Braeden slurped spoonful after spoonful. Silver and Raya exchanged looks. "Now, now don't slurp up too much, Bra—"  
  
BUURRPP!  
  
"...Whoa."  
  
"Alright now. I've got a cabin boy to teach. Raya, I'm count'n on ya to keep an eye on this young pup."  
  
When Silver had gone, Raya took the chair by the cot and yawned.  
  
"Tired?" He asked.  
  
"Very much. I've got second watch today."  
  
"Ah. Our ship slept so long, we had to have third watch." Braeden said. He examined some things on the bedside table, and then looked at Raya. "I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
"Er..." She looked around nervously. "I'll be right back." She climbed the stairs to the deck and looked around.  
  
"Erm...Mr. Scroop?" He turned and glared at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The...um...boy is...has to..."  
  
"Ssspeak clearly!" He ordered. "What about the cabin boy?" Raya blinked.  
  
"No, it's the, um, boy who crashed...He's having to go to the...lavatory." Raya said. Scroop looked impatient, like he had somewhere to go before she called him.  
  
"The WHAT?"  
  
"The bathroom, and he needs help." Scroop's eyes dimmed a bit as it sank in, and then grabbed another crewmember and started down the stairs. Raya stood on the deck until both men returned.  
  
"Don't call me ever again about that." Scroop warned, and then scuttled away, grumpy. Raya went below deck once more, trying not to laugh.  
  
~*~  
  
A week went by and Braeden's condition seemed to be improving, but he was now mourning over the loss of his solar surfer. Raya was very bored for the next few days, watching over Braeden and making sure his bandages were changed regularly and that he kept still. Raya and Jim had seldom time to talk, since Silver kept him busy with work, so Raya often talked with Braeden.  
  
"So...you listen to Evanescence?" Raya said one afternoon. Braeden nodded.  
  
"I find the old bands are much better than these crappy new ones." Raya nodded in agreement. Their conversation then led to skate shoes and then eventually to bands that they both liked.  
  
"Okay...who sucks the most: Britney or Paris? On three...one...two...three...Britney."  
  
"Paris." Raya said after him. "What makes Britney suck more?"  
  
"She's gross...went from sweet to rotten." Braeden said. "But I understand why you picked Hilton." He juggled two purps. His arm had healed, but his rib still needed time.  
  
"So...do you play guitar?" Raya asked.  
  
"Used to..." Braeden said.  
  
"Oh..." It was silent. Braeden pointed to a metal slab propped against the wall.  
  
"I could make a solar surfer out of that." He said. He looked down and sighed, throwing his head back.  
  
"Silver says that you'll heal in a week's time if you DRINK YOUR MILK." Raya said.  
  
"Aww...I hate milk. No offense." He said. Raya laughed.  
  
"No offense? Why would that offend me?" She said. He looked at her and grinned. She looked at him, confused, and then it dawned on her and she hit him on the arm.  
  
"Alright, Mr. Braeden, I think you've been cooped up too long! I meant milk from a cow!"  
  
~*~  
  
A week later, Braeden was free of his cot in the corner of the crew's quarters. The Captain immediately had him do little jobs to help the crew, including doing second watch on Sundays and Thursdays. When they had nothing else to do, the crew often played numerous poker games, only to stuff their cards into their pockets as Mr. Arrow or Captain Amelia passed by. Braeden was always in the center of the games, and Raya wondered how he had ever learned to gamble like that as she peeled purps for Silver, who was supervising Jim scraping barnacles off of the ship's bottom. He grinned at Raya, and she blinked, not realizing that she was staring.  
  
"Want to play a game, Raye?" Braeden said, slipping in his nickname for her.  
  
"No thank you." Raya said, laughing. "You know very well that I'll lose."  
  
"You might win."  
  
"I lost miserably last time."  
  
"That was last time."  
  
"FINE! I'll play." She hopped down from her perch on a barrel and sat on the crate across from Braeden. Mister Boy hopped up next to her and watched their game, his tail swishing steadily. Beads of sweat formed on Raya's brow when Braeden pulled off a particularly good move. And then—  
  
"I win." Braeden said triumphantly, standing up. Boy growled a bit. Raya scratched between his ears and smirked at Braeden.  
  
"That's alright...I'm still better looking." She said.  
  
~*~  
  
Hahaha, friend rivalry! Rivalry between friends is fun! Until next time...Adieu. 


	3. Realizations

"Oy, Raya, where's Silver gone?" Braeden said, coming up the steps from the galley to find Raya mopping the deck.  
  
"If he's not in there, then he's either in the loo or torturing Mr. Cabin Boy." Raya said. Mister Boy meowed from his perch on a crate. "Not you, I said CABIN Boy."  
  
"I'm hungry." Braeden whined.  
  
"That's nothing new. You're always hungry." Braeden walked up and snatched the mop from her. "Ah, good idea! You can mop to keep yourself from thinking of food!" He smirked and she laughed and sat next to her cat on the crate. He went to sit on the crate, too, but she stopped him.  
  
"If you sit down, then this crate'll cave in on all of us."  
  
"Oh, so you're saying?" Braeden said, hands on hips. Raya smirked.  
  
"I'm saying that you're getting fatter than a—"  
  
BOOM!  
  
The whole ship shuddered. Everyone scattered on board to see what was happening. The etherium had turned from daytime blue to dark.  
  
"What the devil?" Silver said, coming up from the stairway that went down to the longboats.  
  
"The star! It exploded" Dr. Doppler yelled above all the commotion.  
  
"Over there." Braeden pointed to a star which indeed exploded.  
  
"ALRIGHT, MEN! FASTEN ALL LIFELINES!" Mr. Arrow commanded. Everyone crowded around the mainmast to fasten ropes around their waists. Raya even tied a lifeline on Mister Boy and ordered him to stay put.  
  
"FASTEN ALL SAILS!"  
  
Raya and Braeden climbed up the shrouds and onto the mast. They both grabbed onto a rope and began their work. Raya looked up for a fraction of a second and saw that a very large meteor was hurtling towards the ship. The crew gave a collective gasp and clung to the masts. All of a sudden, it rolled away and was sucked into a—  
  
"BLACKHOLE!" Dr. Doppler yelled in horror. The crew scrambled down the shrouds, only to be met by Mr. Arrow.  
  
"LOOSEN ALL SAILS!" He ordered. The crew grumbled and climbed back up except for Jim, who went to secure the lifelines. Raya pulled on a rope and loosened the sail. She went to loosen another one, when she saw it. Mr. Arrow was pulling on his lifeline in order to climb back aboard, but she looked and saw Scroop behind a sail, holding his claw over the rope. She heard a faint snap as he cut it. Raya froze to the spot, staring in horror at Scroop. But all of a sudden, Braeden was pulling on her arm.  
  
"Come on, Raya!" He hissed, pulling her along with him.  
  
"BRACE YOURSELVES!" The Captain yelled. Raya scooped up Mister Boy.  
  
"Raya, come on!" Braeden yelled, and he pushed her against the mast, holding an arm against it to protect her. All went quiet, and then there was a loud blast as the ship was pushed from the black hole by the magiller. When all was calm again, the crew came out of their hiding places and began cheering for the Captain's brilliant maneuvering.  
  
"Well done, crew, very well done. Mr. Silver, I say your cabin boy did a fine job with those lifelines." Captain Amelia said. She looked around. "Has anyone seen Mr. Arrow?"  
  
"I'm afraid," A voice said "that Mr. Arrow has been lost. His life line was not secured." Raya jumped and turned around to see Scroop coming through the crowd holding Mr. Arrow's hat. She saw Silver give a look of surprise and then shine a light of yellow from his eye at Scroop, who smirked.  
  
"Are you okay?" Braeden whispered to her.  
  
"I'm fine." Raya said meekly.  
  
"No you're not. You're shaking." Raya didn't say anything to that. She had barely heard the Captain saying her last words about Mr. Arrow, and had dismissed the crew by the time Raya had recovered enough to listen. Braeden seemed to sense that she was feeling down, because he took her aside and sat her beside him on a crate.  
  
"You know...going on an expedition like this...there's always going to be losses." Braeden said, and Raya bit her lip. "But, you've got to get on with it, move on. Ya know?" She bit her lip harder at the remembrance of Scroop cutting Mr. Arrow's lifeline. She knew that he was treacherous from the beginning. The foul, ugly—  
  
"Raya?" She looked at Braeden. "I bet this'll make you feel better. Look at this." He took something out of his pocket and showed it to her. It was a silver chain and on it hung a sapphire blue shell that was about the size of a small conch shell. It looked polished and new.  
  
"Wow." Raya breathed.  
  
"I know. I got it from Glanz. Everything on that planet looks polished and clean. I almost went out of my mind there, cuz you know how I am about cleaning." Braeden said. He watched Raya examine the shell in admiration. "You can have it if you want it."  
  
"What?" Raya said, looking up at him in astonishment. "This looks too expensive...I couldn't—"  
  
"You could. This is a free gift that they give all visitors. It's a tradition for them. I haven't any use for it, though." He pushed the shell into her palm. "Have it."  
  
"...Thank you." Braeden grinned at Raya's shock.  
  
~*~  
  
It was a Saturday, which meant that Thuraya had second watch, although she didn't feel like getting in an hour of rest before. She sat in the topmost loft that she could balance on, just thinking. From time to time she took a long glance at Jim, who was down below sitting in the shrouds, looking downcast. Silver had come along not too long after and she had heard every word she said.  
  
"I screwed up!" "I thought I could do something right for once in my life!" "...I wish I'm there, catching some of the light coming off o' ya that day..." And then Jim Hawkins cried. For the first time in her life, Thuraya Zaynah Mullins had witnessed a boy cry. She felt anger towards Scroop for taking the praise away from Jim by making it look that Jim hadn't made any effort at all into those lifelines. She stared down at Jim, tears running down his face as he leaned his forehead against Silver for comfort. She felt her own tears threatening to fall as she watched them.  
  
"You should learn to mind your own business." A rough voice hissed behind her. She turned and saw Scroop sitting on the loft a few feet away.  
  
"Look who's talking." Raya shot back. His eyes narrowed.  
  
"You best be watching who you're messing with, Earth scum." Scroop said venomously. Raya glared at him and then climbed down the shrouds when she was sure Silver and Jim had gone.  
  
~*~  
  
Raya sat at her place by the bowsprit as usual, although she was aware of the glare of yellow eyes and the dark figure scuttling above her in the lofts. If he tried to attack her, she would jump and ring the bell. She yawned and regretted not getting more sleep...  
  
~*~  
  
Light shone on Raya's face and she yawned widely, before opening her eyes and realizing that she had fallen asleep outside. She scrambled up and was about to go into the galley, but stopped when she heard voices. It was mostly Scroop talking about someone having a soft spot for Jim, and then she heard Silver's voice. She quietly went to where the skylights into the galley were and peered in through a square.  
  
"He means nothing to me." Raya's eyes widened. If Jim heard this...that would only add to his worries!  
  
"And you, Bryant. You make me sick. You and Mullins. That's even worse!" Scroop spat. She saw a familiar shoulder shrug.  
  
"She's only a wallflower. Something to keep me occupied." Braeden said, not sounding a tad bit guilty.  
  
"That's not what you were thinkin' during the blackhole!"  
  
"Well, of course I had to save her then! I wouldn't have anything to do!" Some of the crew laughed. Raya's face turned stark red. What the funny was going on here?  
  
"The mutiny will start soon."  
  
Mutiny. Raya had read "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle," twenty times through. She knew perfectly what that meant. 


	4. Brutality

"Captain! Land HO!" There came a stampede from inside the galley and everyone rushed for the rail, where they took their first glance of Treasure Planet.  
  
"Raya...slept in late?" Braeden said suddenly from behind her. Raya turned and saw him leaning against the mast, smirking at her. Her fist clenched slightly.  
  
"...Yes..." Raya said, warily. There was a commotion from behind them and they turned to see Jim running towards the captain's quarters.  
  
"WE MOVE NOW!" Silver yelled.  
  
A billowing black sail was being raised. She gasped went to run after Jim, but Braeden grabbed her arm.  
  
"Where are you going, Raye?" He asked her as she struggled against him. She fought with all her might to get away from him, but he was too strong for her. She kicked him and his smirk vanished. "You're not going anywhere."  
  
"Let go of me! Who said you could handle me like that?" Raya said, roughly. Her mind raced. She had to think quickly.  
  
"Don't think you can talk to me like that." Braeden said, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck.  
  
"I don't think—I know." She retorted. Braeden's eyes flashed and he pulled a gun out and put it against her head.  
  
"You won't be thinkin' for long."  
  
There was a small explosion and they saw a longboat launch off. Onboard were Captain Amelia, Dr. Doppler, and Jim.  
  
"Bryant, take 'er and bind 'er, then bring 'er in the boat." Scroop ordered. Braeden put away his gun and took a length of rope and tied it around Raya tightly.  
  
"Ropes really go with your style." He mocked. She glared at him.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" She asked icily.  
  
"We're going to follow your little friends and make sure that they don't get the treasure first." He mocked.  
  
"You'll never find the treasure without a map."  
  
"DUH! That's why we're going to kill them and then take it!" Oh no. No, no, no.  
  
"Very well, then, but I should warn you that...nevermind..." Raya said, pretending that she was going to reveal to him important information.  
  
"What?" Raya shook her head.  
  
"It's really not all that important. Pirates won't care about that kind of stuff." She said. He glared at her.  
  
"Bryant! What are you waiting for?" Another pirate yelled. Braeden grabbed her and dragged her off towards where the longboats were and threw her in.  
  
"OY! Careful, boy!" Silver barked "Are ya tryin' to tip the boat over?" Braeden jumped into the boat beside Raya.  
  
"What took you so long, Bryant?" Scroop said impatiently.  
  
"This girl keeps talking crap."  
  
"The only thing that's crap is your face." Raya snapped. Braeden made to slap her, but Silver's metal hand stopped him.  
  
"There will be no harming a lady." He said calmly. "Besides, what's gonna keep you occupied?" The others laughed. Braeden turned a deep shade of red.  
  
"The Captain's boat crashed somewhere around here." A thing called Flatbottoms said. That got everyone back to business.  
  
"Right. Good aim there, Flats." Silver said. They landed shortly in a clear patch of land and then took their first step on Treasure Planet.  
  
"Now, we need a plan. First, we see if they survived. If they are still alive, we—"  
  
"We kill 'em and take the map." Scroop said, smashing some shrubbery nearby.  
  
"Now stop right there you bug-eyed twit!" Silver said, his eye going red. "We find where they're at, and then we...compromise..."  
  
"I'm not going to do it." Raya said firmly.  
  
"You are if you want to live!"  
  
"I don't want to live, then."  
  
"Stupid girl!" Braeden slapped her across the face. Everyone froze. Raya didn't yelp, but looked at him, her eyes blazing with anger.  
  
"You were a good actor. A filthy traitor, but a good actor." And with that, Raya tore the shell necklace from her neck and threw it at his face as hard as she could. Silver had on an unreadable expression, but then he said,  
  
"Scroop, take her to the ship and shut her up. She's nothing but a problem."  
  
Raya sat in the dark room, but not knowing what room she was in. In addition to where Braeden bound her, her wrists were bound tightly and were hurting. She had heard a few noises and sighed.  
  
Let the rats get to me, she thought.  
  
All of a sudden, the door burst open and Raya jumped. It was dark outside the room, also, so Raya couldn't see who it was, but she heard them breathing only a foot away from her. They bumped into her and she was slightly relieved to feel that they didn't have claws or eight legs. She stopped being relieved however when a gun was put to her head.  
  
"Who's there?" The voice sounded young and male, but Raya hadn't really talked with him in a long time.  
  
"Jim, it's Raya." The gun didn't move.  
  
"Are you a pirate, too?"  
  
"If I'm tied up? No." She felt him cutting the rope, and soon she was free.  
  
"Follow me...and stay quiet." She did so, and he led her in the dark to who knows where. She heard scuttling above them. Suddenly, the lights came on and they saw Scroop right above them. Jim pushed Raya out of the way and then tried to shoot at Scroop, but he knocked his gun out of his hands. Scroop pinned Jim against the floor as Jim tried desperately to reach for it.  
  
Raya took a breath and was about to lunge for it, but all of a sudden, all three of them were floating upwards. Jim's gun was floating away as well. Jim and Raya started to swim for it, but Scroop had difficulty maneuvering with his eight legs and crashed throught the sky lights. The gun started floating aloft.  
  
"No." Jim muttered, scrambling after it. He was floating up towards the mast when Scroop began to scuttle after him with trouble. However, when he reached the mast, he gripped onto it firmly with all eight legs and began to climb up it. Jim was already at the top, holding onto the flag and trying to grab the gun, but it spun away.  
  
Raya had gripped onto the edge of the sky light and watched all this in horror. She then saw, to her greatest terror, that Scroop was climbing up the mast towards Jim with an evil glint in his eyes. She glanced around. She needed to help, and quick...but she was too far away.  
  
She then spotted a pipe attached to a beam two feet above her.  
  
"It's this or nothing." She muttered, and then made a lunge for it...then realized too late that she had nothing else to hold on to. She kicked her foot downwards in hopes of catching the edge of the skylight again, but it only made her float higher. It was no use. She would float to her death...  
  
Her eyes shut tight as she felt a chill wash over her. She shivered and took what she thought was her last breath, when all of a sudden she came crashing down through the skylight in the crew's quarters. Then it all finally came to darkness.  
  
About half an hour later after Jim left the ship, another boat came and docked. He went on deck and frowned when he saw that it was in shambles. He had noticed earlier that the pirate flag was missing.  
  
"Gosh." He muttered. "Scroop! Whaddya do?" There was no answer. He noticed that both of the skylights on the deck were destroyed. He smirked. The old devil probably got himself so drunk that he couldn't even walk. He walked to the crew's skylight and stopped dead at what he saw. He scrambled down the steps toward the battered body that lay at the bottom. 


End file.
